Archive for the ‘Asbestos’ Category

Asbestos use in America has been called one of the largest man-made epidemics in U.S. history. This is because the health dangers of asbestos have been known for centuries – in fact, health conditions resulting from asbestos exposure were noted as early as the year 100. Contrary to this realization, asbestos use was only just getting started.

As years passed, asbestos use increased. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, companies were using asbestos in their products – the mineral was praised for its fireproofing abilities – despite knowing that inhalation of asbestos particles could lead to respiratory problems. Those same companies hid any illness among employees exposed to asbestos. They also failed to provide workers with protective gear designed to prevent inhalation of the asbestos fibers.

Instead of preventing the asbestos exposure or providing protective gear to employees, executives quietly offered compensation to those dealing with health problems from exposure that occurred while on the job. This forced employees to keep quiet about the underlying cause of their illness.

This behavior lasted for years and affected thousands of workers across the country. Due to the latency period associated with mesothelioma, men and women who were wrongly exposed to asbestos continue to be diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases today.

See what else our mesothelioma lawyers have to say about the corporate asbestos cover-up that affected the lives of so many Americans. Watch the video below:

More often than not, when I say that I represent people who suffer from asbestos-related cancer, the response that I get is: How can people still be getting cancer from asbestos? Hasn’t asbestos been outlawed for decades now?

There are two reasons why about 3,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with mesothelioma, or asbestos-caused cancer, each year. The primary reason is that it typically takes between 20 and 50 years from the time a person is first exposed to asbestos until that person is diagnosed with cancer.

The other reason may surprise you: Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission began banning certain asbestos-containing products in 1973, asbestos in many industrial and consumer products has never been completely prohibited in the United States. Click here to see a list of asbestos-containing products not banned.

For example, asbestos is still used in the manufacture of automatic transmission components, clutch facings, disk brake pads, drum brakes linings, brake blocks, and automotive gaskets. While most auto manufactures have not used asbestos in brakes for some time now, a percentage of the brake products sold as replacement parts in the aftermarket still contain asbestos. Routine vehicle maintenance can expose even “shade tree” mechanics to asbestos in amounts that can cause mesothelioma, if proper precautions are not taken to avoid inhaling dust during such work.

In 2010, with the intent to reduce the release of harmful substances into groundwater and other parts of the environment, Washington and California became the first states in the nation to enact laws that phase out the use of asbestos and other toxic materials in automotive friction products.

They must also certify and mark their products as meeting these restrictions. Companies found to be in violation will be fined $10,000 per violation. A violation also would be a crime under existing hazardous waste control laws.

These requirements became enforceable in California on January 1, 2014, and in Washington on January 1, 2015. California has not yet adopted regulations clarifying the accepted method for testing the products, the certification process, nor the contents of the mark, but California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control has been engaged in the process since early last year and hopes to issue formal regulations later this year. Meanwhile, manufacturers must comply with Washington’s regulations, and DTSC intends to model California’s standards after Washington’s to make compliance easier for industry.

What Asbestos Brake Laws Mean for You

The good news for consumers is that the impact of these laws has already spread beyond the borders of these two west coast states. At the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo in November, the auto industry announced that it would be entering into an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) to adhere to standards nationwide that are modeled on those established in the Washington and California laws. (Presumably, this agreement will not contain a $10,000-per-violation penalty.)

Copper is highly toxic to fish and has been found to cause gastrointestinal and liver problems for humans. So it’s great that strides are being made to reduce the amount of this heavy metal in the environment.

But for my clients and me, there is a certain irony in the fact that industry is calling the nationwide measure the “Copper-Free Brake Initiative.” This title does nothing to educate the public that as long as asbestos-containing products are still in use, asbestos continues to pose a threat to national health.

It’s that time of year – people are heading upstairs to the attic or other storage space to fumble through their holiday décor and wrapping essentials. They’re pulling out boxes, shifting large items and possibly disturbing asbestos. This is especially probable if your home was built before 1990, when asbestos insulation was common.

From 1919 to 1990, a mine near Libby, Montana, was the source of over 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the United States. The insulation, which was often used in attic floors and walls, was usually sold under the brand name Zonolite. In older attics today, you may still come across asbestos insulation, and disturbing it can put you at risk for mesothelioma.

So, what can you do to avoid releasing asbestos particles into the air and putting yourself in danger? Take a look at the attics and asbestos exposure infobyte below:

Keep yourself safe this holiday season by being knowledgeable about attics and asbestos exposure and preventing its devastating result, mesothelioma. No level of asbestos exposure is safe.

Paul Gleason’s iconic lines “Don’t mess with the bull, young man. You’ll get the horns” solidified him as the cantankerous antagonist in The Breakfast Club. While his role as the principal guarding rebellious 80s teens is his most famous, his death from pleural mesothelioma is less well known. Aside from being a casualty of asbestos exposure, Gleason was an actor with a full career on top of his dedicated family life and enthusiasm for sports.

Acting was not always his dream, though. Raised in New Jersey, the free-spirited Gleason ran away at the age of 16 and hitchhiked across the east coast playing baseball as he traveled. He settled down in Florida and attended Florida State University as a college football player.

After his time as a football player, Gleason joined the minor leagues in baseball and played two seasons professionally with the Cleveland Indians. Though he did not stay in professional sports, Gleason often participated in celebrity golf outings where he was known to meet with fans, conversing and signing autographs.

Gleason’s Acting Career and Mesothelioma Battle

Despite his reputation of friendliness to fans, many of his roles were that of the hard headed antagonist. He appeared in over 60 films. Some of the famous films and television shows you can find Gleason in include Trading Places, The Breakfast Club, Friends, Seinfeld and Die Hard.

In fact, it was during a standstill in his baseball career Gleason began to consider the idea of an acting career. This idea became reality when he was inspired to pursue his dream by his friend, and famous writer, Jack Kerouac. He developed his skills with Lee Strasberg, the acclaimed father of method acting. Gleason published a book of poetry shortly before his death, establishing yet another area of talent for the athlete and actor.

Sadly, Gleason met his untimely end at the age of 67 in May 2006.

Shannon Gleason-Grossman, his daughter, said of his death to mesothelioma; “He was an athlete, an actor and a poet. He gave me and my sister a love that is beyond description that will be with us and keep us strong for the rest of our lives.”

He died abruptly in Burbank, California just three weeks after his pleural mesothelioma diagnosis. It is believed that Gleason was exposed to asbestos as a teenager working on building sites with his father.

Thanks to its low cost and fire resistant capabilities, asbestos was often used in house construction. Homes built anywhere from the early 1900s until as late as the 1980s likely had some asbestos materials in them. The United States began implementing bans on the substance in the 1970s, and it is luckily no longer used in home construction. But, asbestos could still be lingering in older homes.

Asbestos is most dangerous when disturbed. Although the thought of asbestos lying dormant in your home might be unsettling, if it is untouched it’s likely not a concern.

When asbestos fibers are disturbed, though, they release harmful dust into the air, increasing the risk for inhalation. Both prolonged exposure and inhalation of asbestos dust can lead to mesothelioma later in life.

If you live in an older home and are planning to renovate, you risk releasing asbestos fibers. Additionally, if your home is damaged and the building materials are exposed, you may face the same risk.

It is not safe to remove asbestos without a trained professional. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests to contact an accredited asbestos professional if you suspect a risk of asbestos exposure in your home.

Many older building materials contain asbestos. When trying to decide whether you could be at risk of asbestos exposure in your home, look over this list of asbestos products.

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